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Galapagos Origin of Species Cruise
Journeying through the Uncharted Wilds of Eastern Galapagos
9 Days
14 of 15
Galapagos Iconic Species known as the BIG 15
From
USD 12000
per guest
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Day By Day
Day 1 - Baltra Island & South Plaza
Baltra Island Airport
- Arrive at Baltra Airport and transfer to the dock — your 9-day Galapagos expedition begins the moment you step aboard Yacht La Pinta.
- Welcome briefing and safety drill; meet your naturalist guide, the expert who will lead every landing for the next nine days.
- Lunch aboard as the yacht repositions toward South Plaza — the first of eleven sites.
South Plaza Island
- Afternoon wet landing on South Plaza — a narrow islet where land iguanas and sea lions divide territory within meters of each other.
- Walk the trail edged with vivid prickly pear cactus and look down from the sea cliffs: Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and frigatebirds ride the updraft below.
- Your naturalist explains the hybrid iguana, a crossbreed of a land iguana and a marine iguana, found nowhere else.
- Evening welcome cocktail and dinner aboard.
Big 15: Galapagos Land Iguana · Marine Iguana · Galápagos Sea Lion · Nazca Booby · Swallow-tailed Gull · Magnificent Frigatebird · Sally Lightfoot Crab
Day 2 - Santa Fe Island & San Cristobal Island
Santa Fe Island
- Morning dinghy landing at Santa Fe’s white-sand beach — sea lions claim every stretch of shore; green sea turtles surface in the bay.
- Snorkel turquoise water and kayak along the coastline; your naturalist points out the Santa Fe land iguana — an endemic subspecies found on no other island on Earth.
- Watch for the Galápagos hawk overhead as your guide explains island-by-island speciation — the same process Darwin struggled to articulate for twenty years.
Cerro Colorado Tortoise Center (San Cristóbal Island)
- Afternoon at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno — the same port where Darwin disembarked in September 1835.
- Visit the Cerro Colorado giant tortoise breeding center: hatchlings in enclosures, adults moving freely through open pasture.
- Spot San Cristobal mockingbirds and lava lizards along the trail before returning to the yacht.
Big 15: Santa Fe Land Iguana · Galapagos Sea Lion · Green Sea Turtle · Galapagos Giant Tortoise · San Cristobal Mockingbird · Galapagos Hawk
Day 3 - San Cristobal Island
Punta Pitt
- Morning hike at Punta Pitt on San Cristobal’s eastern tip — the only site in the Galapagos where red-footed, Nazca, and blue-footed boobies all nest together.
- Your naturalist explains why this convergence exists here, and nowhere else in the archipelago.
- Spot bachelor sea lion colonies on the rocks; optional panga ride for coastal wildlife viewing along the volcanic cliffs.
Cerro Brujo
- Afternoon at Cerro Brujo — one of the finest beaches in the Galapagos, backed by eroding tuff formations and fronted by crystalline water.
- Swim or snorkel above lava rock formations teeming with reef life; marine iguanas and shorebirds move along the waterline.
- The Galapagos does not ask you to hurry. Cerro Brujo is the place to remember that.
Big 15: Red-footed Booby · Nazca Booby · Blue-footed Booby · Magnificent Frigatebird · Marine Iguana · Galapagos Sea Lion
Day 4 - Española Island
Punta Suarez
- Morning walk along Punta Suarez — the path winds through an active waved albatross colony (present April–January); the only nesting site for this species on Earth.
- Blue-footed boobies perform their full courtship display within arm’s reach; your naturalist narrates every gesture.
- Española’s marine iguanas are the most vivid in the archipelago — the red-and-green coloring of this population exists nowhere else.
- A natural blowhole at the island’s southern tip marks the trail’s dramatic finale.
Gardner Bay
- Afternoon at Gardner Bay — white coral sand, turquoise water, and a sea lion colony that makes no room for anyone.
- Snorkel, kayak, or take the glass-bottom boat; sea turtles and reef sharks move through the water below.
- Walk the beach with Española mockingbirds and Darwin’s finches at your feet — the snorkeling here is the kind travelers describe for the rest of their lives.
Big 15: Waved Albatross · Blue-footed Booby · Española Marine Iguana · Galápagos Sea Lion · Green Sea Turtle · White-tipped Reef Shark · Española Mockingbird · Swallow-tailed Gull
Day 5 - Santa Cruz Island & Charles Darwin Research Station
Charles Darwin Research Station
- Morning at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora — giant tortoise breeding pens and active conservation science you can walk through.
- Your naturalist connects the research to the wildlife you have encountered across four days at sea — the evolutionary argument made visible.
- Explore Puerto Ayora before the bus transfer to the Santa Cruz highlands.
Santa Cruz Highlands
- Afternoon in the highlands: walk among giant tortoises moving freely through open pasture — animals that have outlasted every human civilization that has tried to describe them.
- Enter lava tunnels carved by ancient volcanic flows; your naturalist reads the island’s geological record as you walk.
- Dinner aboard as the yacht repositions north — the second half of your expedition begins tonight.
Big 15: Galapagos Giant Tortoise · Darwin’s Finches · Galapagos Rail · Vermilion Flycatcher
Day 6 - Santa Cruz Island & Chinese Hat
Eden Islet (Santa Cruz Island)
- Morning panga ride to Eden Islet — a volcanic outcrop off the coast of Santa Cruz, teeming with seabirds and marine life.
- Spot blue-footed boobies plunge-diving, reef sharks patrolling the shallow edges, and frigatebirds overhead.
- Snorkel or take the glass-bottom boat through lava formations and coral gardens.
Chinese Hat Islet
- Afternoon landing on Chinese Hat Islet, formed by a single eruption into the distinctive cone shape that gives it its name.
- Walk a 400-meter trail from a white-sand beach; snorkel in shallow volcanic waters where Galapagos penguins dart past, and reef sharks hold still beneath you.
- Your naturalist traces the evolutionary line from Humboldt penguins to the equatorial Galapagos population — the only tropical penguin on the planet.
Big 15: Galapagos Penguin · Blue-footed Booby · White-tipped Reef Shark · Galapagos Sea Lion · Magnificent Frigatebird · Marine Iguana
Day 7 - Bartolome Island & Santiago Island
Bartolome Island
- Morning hike up Bartolome’s wooden staircase to the summit — the most iconic panoramic view in the Galapagos: Pinnacle Rock rising from turquoise water.
- Panga rides around Pinnacle Rock; Galapagos penguins dart beneath the hull, and marine turtles surface beside the boat.
- Beach landing for snorkeling and swimming; the glass-bottom boat reveals an underwater world in the same turquoise frame as the postcard above.
Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)
- Afternoon at Sullivan Bay — one of the most otherworldly landscapes in the archipelago.
- Walk across a pahoehoe lava field estimated at fewer than 130 years old: ropey, ridged, and still largely uncolonized by vegetation.
- Your naturalist reads the geological record aloud — layers of eruptions, each one adding new ground where there was only ocean.
Big 15: Galapagos Penguin · Green Sea Turtle · Galápagos Sea Lion · Marine Iguana · Brown Pelican · Sally Lightfoot Crab
Day 8 - Genovesa Island & Darwin Bay
Prince Philip’s Steps (Genovesa Island)
- The yacht crosses the equator overnight — arrive at Genovesa Island (Tower Island), the most remote island in the archipelago, at dawn.
- Climb the wooden staircase of Prince Philip’s Steps to one of the great wildlife corridors on Earth.
- Red-footed boobies nest at eye level in palo santo trees — the only site in the Galapagos where this species nests in such density.
- Short-eared owls hunt in broad daylight, patrolling the colony for storm-petrels; Galapagos fur seals rest in rocky crevices along the cliff edge.
Darwin Bay
- Afternoon at Darwin Bay — a white coral beach inside Genovesa’s submerged caldera.
- Walk the shoreline with great frigatebirds and Nazca boobies nesting within arm’s reach.
- Snorkel the crystal-clear bay; hammerhead sharks move in the deep water beyond the reef.
- Optional kayaking along the caldera walls for a view of Genovesa that only the water reveals.
Big 15: Red-footed Booby · Nazca Booby · Short-eared Owl · Galapagos Fur Seal · Great Frigatebird · Storm-petrel · Hammerhead Shark · Great Blue Heron
Day 9 - Baltra Island Airport
Itinerary Map
Baltra Airport
Santa Fe
Punta Pitt
Española Island
Charles Darwin Research Station
Eden Islet
Sullivan Bay
Darwin Bay
Baltra Airport
Prices
Prices in 2026
Starting at USD 12000 per guest
Prices in 2027
Starting at USD 12250 per guest
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Why Book With Us
Unmatched Experiences & Expert Care
Choose expedition vessels for an authentic and intimate experience.
Consider the comfort level with the ideal space-to-guest ratio during your journey.
All our itineraries allow you to discover 11 to 12 of the Big 15 iconic species and the top 4 islands in just 5 to 7 days.
Join multi-guided itineraries in your language, customize your experience, and connect with others who share your interests.
Expertly designed itineraries ensure exclusivity and optimal wildlife viewing during island visits.
Enjoy multiple activities around the islands at no extra cost during your Galapagos expedition.
Rest assured, our Galapagos cruise ships have onboard medical professionals to attend to any medical needs.
Ensure the Galapagos National Park authorizes your cruise for activities and island visits.
Gallery
Included
- Shared transfers
- Accomodation and all meals on board
- Island expeditions with Park-certified Naturalist Guides
- Snorkeling gear, kayaks, paddleboards, and a glass-bottom boat
- 24/7 On-board Medical Officer
- Luggage assistance
- Wi-Fi in social areas *
- Soft drinks *
- Informative lectures
Conditions Apply: *Please speak with our destination experts for detailed information.
Not Included
- International airfare
- Galapagos National Park fee (USD 200)
- INGALA migration card (USD 20)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal expenses, gratuities & taxes
- Fuel surcharges*
- Non-alcoholic beverages are included on board only.
- Fees and surcharges are subject to change without prior notice.
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